Freight car



F. DITCHFIELD FREIGHT GAR Filed June 25, `19455 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nm. wm.

@V7/amd@ wry .4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ll, 1945. F.V DlTcHFlELD FREIGHT CAR Filed June. 23, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FREIGHT CAR F. DlTcHFlELD Filed June 23, 1943 Dec. l1, 1945.A

n Nvu nu n* NN n 4... W l t mw I Patented Dec. 11, 1945 UNITED STATES PATE-NT OFFICE Youngstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, Ohio, v4a corporation of Ohio Application June 23, 1943, Serial No. L1:91.865

(Cl. rS-376) Claims.

This invention relates to freight carsand more particularly to freight cars of the house type.

It is an object of this invention to provi-de house cars which shall be :capable of use in the customary manner for the shipment of carloa'd lots of commodities and lwhich shall be readily convertible into compartments for the 'shipment of several less-than-oarload lots of the `same or of different commodities.

A further object is to provide house cars capable of being converted intoseparate compartments by means of bulkheads 'or partitions With'- out the requirement of extraneous parts to form the .bulkheads or partitions.

A further object is to `provide lhouse cars capable of being converted `into separate compartments,- each :of which shall be independently accessible.

A further object iis to :provide house cars so arranged and constructed that portions of the car lining may be disposed -t'o form bulkhead's or partitions for dividing the cars into separate compartments.

A further object is to provide house cars c'apable of being converted into separate compartments by means of bulkheads or .partitions without the requirement of extraneous partitions to form the bulkheads or partitions and capable of being restored to their origina1 condition without requiring the removal of parts from 4the cars and without loss of Shipping space.

A further object `is to provide house cars S0 arranged and constructed that portions of the car lining may be disposed to form bulkheads or partitions 'for dividing the l.cars into separate cornpartments wherein the portionsof the lining carry locking means capable of locking these portions -in partition-.forming `.position and in liningforming position.

A further object is to provide house cars equipped with spaced sliding doors so disposed that the front stop for one door serves as the back stop for an Aadjacent door.

A further object is to provide ,novel partitions for house cars embodying locking means.

Other objectsof the yinvention will become clear as Vthe description thereof proceeds.

In the drawingsforming part of this speciiication:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic velevation of a portion ofra house car embodying the instant invention.

Fig. 2Yis a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l, parts being shown diagrammatically.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 .is a Vertical section taken on Yline 4-4of Fig. Y3 looking in the direction `of 'the arrows, parts being broken away to permit illustration on an enlarged scale.

Fig. -5 is an elevation of the structure vof Fig. 4 looking toward the left in .Fig-fl. l l

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on -line 6-6 of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 7 is a vertical section 'taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on line 8--8 of Fig. 1. l

Fig. 9 isa horizontal section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 1.

The drawings `illustrate a preferred lembodiment of the instant invention. I-n Fig. 1 of these drawings a portion of a railway house car, designated generally by the reference numeral Ill, is showndiagrammatically. Itis tobe understood that the remaining portion Aof `the car is complementary to the portion `shown and that the side walls of theear are substantially similar in construction. K y

The side walls II and I2 embody side plates I3 and I4 upon which a roof, designated in its kentirety by the reference numeral I5, is supported- The side plates are v'substantially Z-shaped in section andare formedwi-th depending flanges t6 and I'I, respectively. Th'ese flanges extend from webs Iv8 and I9 `from the inner edgesy of which anges Z0 and `r2| extend upwardly. The iianges 20 and 2| are bent, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, `t0 form vflanges 22 and 23 which conform to the slope of the roof I5.

The side wall II embodies door posts for the main intermediate door, one of these posts being shown at 24. The side wall I I also `Vembodies. a plurality of intermediate posts 25 and end posts, one of which is shown at 26. The door posts. intermediate posts and end posts are secured at their upper ends in any desired manner to the side plate I3 and Aat their lower ends in any desired manner to a side sill 21. Metallic sheathing 28 is secured to the outer faces `of the posts as well as to the side plate .and to the side sill in any desired manner, as is understood in the art. A lining 29, preferably for-med of wood, lis secured to the inner faces of the intermediate and-end posts and to nailing blocks, one of which is shown at 3U, fastened to the door posts 24.

The side wall I2 embodies a plurality of door posts for lthe main door, one of these posts vbeing shown at 3l. The side wall I2 also embodies Aa plurality of intermediate posts 32 and end posts 33. The door posts, intermediate posts and end posts are fastened at their upper ends in any desired manner to the side plate I4 and at their lower ends in any desired manner to the side sill 34. Metallic sheathing 35 is Secured in any desired manner to the outer faces of the posts and at its upper and lower margins to the side plate I4 and to the side sill 34. An inner lining 36, preferably formed of wood, is secured to the inner faces of the intermediate and end posts and to nailing blocks carried by the door posts, one of these nailing blocks being shown at 31. v

The ends of the cars are closed by means of end walls, extending between and secured to the side walls II and I2. One of the car ends is shown in its entirety at 38.

It is frequently desirable to provide a number of separate compartments in a railway house car.

This desirability arises when less-than-carload.

shipments are being transported so that each of these shipments may be loaded and unloaded Without disturbing any of the other shipments in the car. By providing separate compartments in the car, shipment of less-than-carload lots of commodities can be made.

Heretofore a plurality of compartments have been obtained in various ways, all of which have involved additional labor and additional parts. Compartments have been provided by means of bulkheads or partitions which are removed from the car when it is desired toship carlcad lots tions 39 are reinforced by means of angles 43 and 44 and the lining portion 49 is reinforced by means of angles 45 and 46. The hinged margin of the lining portion 39 is preferably reinforced by means of a substantially T-shaped member 41 and the lining portion 49 is preferably reinforced by means of a substantially T-shaped member 48. The free ends of the lining portions 39 and 49 are rabbeted, as indicated at 49 and 55, so that the inner faces of these lining portions may lie in the same plane as the remainder of the lining portions 29 and 36.

of illustrating the invention provides two sets of v lining portions 39 and -49 capable of dividing the car into three separate compartments. It vwill 4 be understood, of course, that the invention is of commodities. Additional members are, there-v fore, required for the bulkheads. Labor is involved in positioning and fastening these members in the car and when they are removed, they are required to be stored and then returned to point of origin as deadweight for further use.

Compartments have also been provided by means Vof bulkheads which constitute a part of the permanent equipment of the car. In this case these bulkheads, when not in use, are stored either against the ends of the car or adjacent to the roof of the car. They constitute additional deadweight which must be carried when they are not beingutilized and, moreover, reduce by their bulk the cubical capacity of the car and, hence, its revenue producing ability.

The instant invention provides a construction of railway house cars whereby separate compart-J ments are obtained when desired' by a structure which is a permanent part of the car construction but which does not require any extraneous members and does not reduce the cubical vcapacity of the car when not used to provide the compartments. In addition, this invention secures independent accessibility of each of the compartments.

To this enda portion 39 of the lining 29 and a portion 49 of the lining 36 are hinged to the side walls II and I2, respectively, in a manner hereinafter described. As more clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the lining portions 39 and 40 are preferably thicker than the remainder of the linings 29 and'36 so as to provide greater strength against thrust. However, the inner faces of the lining portions 39 and 49 lie substantially in the same plane as the inner faces of the remainder of the linings 29 and 36 so as not to reduce the cubical capacity of a car. It is to be understood that the lining portions 39 and 49 may be of the same thickness as the remainder of the linings 29 and 36, if desired.

Each of the lining portions 39 and 49 is preferably formed of a plurality of vertically arranged tongue and groove boards 4I and 42, respectively.

vThe upper and lower margins of the lining p0rnot limited to its illustrated form but that any desirable number of lining portions may be utilized to provide the desired number of compartments.

Each compartment, formed as described here-Y inabove, is made accessible independently of each other compartment from both sides of the car. In the illustrated embodiment Vof the invention this accessibility is obtained by means of openings in each side of the car opposite the hinged lining portions 39 and 49. Thus, door openings,

such as 5I, are formed in the side wall I I. Each of these door openings, which maybe smaller than the main door opening 52, as better illus-Y tratedl in Fig. 1 of the drawings, is defined Yin part by means of door posts 53 and 454 which carry nailing blocks 55 and 56 to which the fixed portions of the lining 29 are secured. The lining portion 39 spans the door opening 5I and is hinged to the door post 53 as hereinafter explained in connection with the lining portion 49. Each of the door openings 5I is adapted to be closedV by means of a sliding door 57 accessible for opera tion from the outside of the car. YClosing movement of the door is limited by means of a front stop 59. Any desired sliding door construction may be utilized to close each of the door openings 5I.

To provide accessibility from the side wall I2 to the compartment formed by the lining portions 39 and 49, a door opening 59 is provided. This door opening, which is preferably similar in size to the door openings 5I, is defined in part by means of door posts 69 and 6 I. These posts carry nailing strips 62 and 63 to which the fixed portions of the lining 36 are secured. The liningforming portion 49 spans the doorv opening 59 which is adapted to be closed by means of a lsliding door `64 operable from the outside of the side Wall I2. The door 64, which may be of any desired construction, is limited in Vits closing lmovement by means of a front stop 65.

As noted hereinabove, one of the do'or postsfof each of the door openings 5I and 59 serves as a means for hinging the lining portions 39 and 49. With particular reference to Fig. 8 ofthe drawings, it will be seen that this is accomplished by means of a hinge 66, one leaf''l of which is secured as .by means of rivets 68 to the T-shaped reinforcing member 48. The other leaf 69 of the hinge is shaped to conform to the door post 90 and is secured thereby as by 4means o-f rivets 10 and 1|. To permit .attachment of the hinge leaf 69 to the door post 00 a portion o-f the nailing block is removed as indicated at 12. This mode of attachment is utilized in hinging each of the lining portions 39 to a door post.

Means is provided for securing the lining portions 39 and 40 in lining-forming position .and in partition-forming position and in accordance with the instant invention the same means is utilized for both purposes. As best illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 8, each of the securing means, a plurality of which are preferably used to lock each of the lining portions 39 and 40, comprises a main body portion 13 `in the form of a round bar disposed in a vertical opening 14 positioned intermediate the inner and outer faces of the lining portions. As more vclearly shown in Fig, 8 of `the drawings, the `verticalopening 14 is formed by cutting away po-rtions of adjacent boards used to form the lining portions 39 and 40 so that the main body portion 13 of the locking means is slidable within the opening. The lower end of the body portion 13 extends through an opening 15 formed in the bottom reinforcing angle so as to engage a keeper secured to the floor of the car as hereinafter explained.

To the upper end of the body portion 13 a locking element 16 is secured as by means of welding. The locking element 16 is substantially T-shaped in section and embodies a rectangular stem 11 slida-ble through a rectangular opening 18 formed in the upper reinforcing angle. The locking `element 16 also embodies `oppositely extending flanges 19 and 80 which are provided with depending nanges 8| and 82, respectively.

In order to actuate the fastening means a handle'83 is secured, as by means of a rivet 84, to the body portion 13. Suilicient space for grasping the handle 83 is provided by removing a portion of the lining portion as indicated at P in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Access through the lining portion is prevented by means of a metallic plate 85 to which an angle member .86 is secured as by means of rivets 81 and serves to limit upward movement of tl-e locking mechanism through engagement with the handle 83.

Keepers are provided in the car for engagement with the locking means in order to lock the lining portions 39 and vI0 in desired position. In the illustrated embodiment 0f the invention angle members, such as 89, extending between and secured to the side plates I3 and vI4 in any desired manner are formed with -a plurality of openings 89 which constitute keepers as hereinafter Yexplained.. Additional keepers are carried by the side plates I3 and I4. One of these keepers 90 is illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings and as there shown is in the form of an angle member secured as by means of rivets 9| to the `depending yflange of a side plate. The inwardly extending leg 912 of the keepers 90 is formed with an opening 93.

Keepers extending transversely of the car are secured to the floor. As more clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. each of these keepers 94 comprises a vsubstantially channel-shaped elongated body 95 formed with attaching flanges 96 and 91 and attaching flanges 98 and 99. The keepers 94 are set into the ioor of the car as more clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawi-ngs, and are `secured by means of rivets |00 and |0| which extend through the flanges 9S and 91 and 98 and 99 and a plate |02 disposed against the underside of the floor |03 of the car. Itwill ybe observed from Fig. .5 of the drawings that the body l of the keepers 94 slopes vupwardly as indicated at |04 so as to permit the keepers to be cleaned readily.

Keepers |05, .similar to the keepers 94, are .arranged in longitudinally spaced relationship adjacent to each of the .door openings 5| and 519. As more clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the .keepers |05 are disposed below the threshold plate |08 which is .coped as indicated at |01 to permit engagement between the lower end of the body .portion 13 of `the locking `means and the keepers |05.

When the lining portions 39 and 40 are .in lining-forming position, as shown in full lines fin Fig. 2 of the drawings, they are secured in this position .so as to constitute .a part of the car 1inings by the locking means hereinabove described. When in lining-forming position the lining por.. tions are locked to .the side Aplates of the car by the projection of the depending nanges A8| of the locking means through the openings 93 in the horizontal flanges of the keepers 90. The lining portions arealso locked to the floor ofthe car by the engagement between the projecting .ends .of the body portions of the locking means .Ian the longitudinally spaced lkeepers |05.

The lining portions 39 and 40 are locked in partition-forming position to .the angle member 8B, extending transversely of the car and secured to the side plates I3 and I4, and to the floor of the car. Securement to the langle member Y88 is obtained by the extension of the depending flanges 82 of the substantially T-shaped lockingr elements 15 through the openings 89 formed in the .angle member 88. The lining portions 3.9 yand 40 rare fastened to the floor 'of the Voar by the engagement of the projection of the body portions 13 with the keepers 94,

To release the locking means -so that the lining portions 39 and 40 may be swung to lining-forming or partition-forming position, the handle 183 is raised, thereby effecting disengagement between the depending ,flanges 8| or 8,2 kfrom vthe keepers 9.3 or 89 and disengagement of the projections of the body portions from the keepers 94 lor |05. Raising of the locking means is lilmited by the angle member 86. It is to be observed that rotation of each locking means is prevented by the shape of the stem 11 and the openings 1 8 in the upper reinforcing angles. It will be apparent, moreover, that by reason of the disposition of the body portion 13 of the locking means intermediate the inner and outer faces of the lining rportions 39 and 40, no loss of loading space occurs when the lining portions are in lining-forming position.

As illustrated, and as preferred, release of the locking means so that the lining portions may be swung from lining-forming to partition-forming position is effected from the inside of the car which is accessible through the main door openings in the side walls. These openings .are .closed by means of sliding 'doors |08 and |09. The `construction of these `doors maybe as desired. Closing movement of these -doors -is limited by means of front stop members such `as I0 similar in construction to the front stop members for the Adoors 51 Vand 64. By means of the instant invention the .arrangement of the sliding doors,.al1 of which are operable from the outside `of the car is such as to reduce the number of parts normally required for sliding doors. This vis accomplished by the relationship between the doors whereby the front stop, which serves to limit closing movement of one'of the doors, is capable of functioning as a back stop for limiting opening movement of an adjacent door. In this manner the custernary back stops employed with sliding car doors and the labor in the application of the back stops are eliminated.A This purpose is effected in the illustrated embodiment of the invention by having front door stop I l serve as a means for `limiting the opening movement of the door 51 and the front door stop 65 of the door 64 serve as limiting means for the main door |09. It will be. understood that a similar relationship is provided between the'main doors |08 and I 09 and the doors similar to doors 5l and 64 carried by the side walls on the opposite side of the main doors.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modications in the details of the invention will be clear tothose skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes be comprehended within this invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A railway house car comprising side walls each embodying an inner lining, sections of said linings being hinged at a vertical edge to said side walls and swingable toward eachother to form a vertical partition, locking means carried by said sections cooperable with means in said car for locking said sections in partition-forming position, said locking means being cooperable with other means in said car to lock said sectiO-ns in lining-forming position.

2. A railway house car comprising side walls each embodying an inner lining, sections of saidV linings being hinged at `a vertical edge to said walls and swingable toward each other to form a vertical partition, said sectionsv being thicker than the remainder of said linings,l the inner face of each of said linings lying in substantially the same plane, locking means carried by said sections cooperable with means in said car for locking said sections in partition-forming position, said locking means being cooperable with other means in said car to lock said sections in lining-forming position.

3. A railway house car comprising sidewalls embodying inner linings, sections of said linings being hinged and swingable toward each other transversely of said side walls to form a partition, said hinged lining sections being thicker than the remainder of said linings, the inner face of each of said linings lying in substantially the same plane, and means carried by said hinged lining sections for locking the same in partitionforming position, said locking means being disposed between the facesof said hinged lining sections and projecting beyond the top and bottom edges thereof, said locking means being also `adapted to lock said hinged lining sections in lining-forming position.

4. A railway house car comprising side walls each embodying an inner lining, sections of said linings being hinged at a vertical edge to said side walls and swingable toward each other to form a plurality of spaced vertical partitions dividing said car into a plurality of compartments, means for locking said partitions, and a door foreach compartment operable from the outside of said car and permitting independent access to each of said compartments. 5. A railway house car comprising side walls each embodying an inner lining, sections of said linings being hinged at a vertical edge to'said side walls and swingable toward each other to form a plurality ofspacedvertical partitions dividing said car into a plurality of compartments, means for locking said partitions, and a door for each compartment operable from the outside of said car and permitting independentv access to each of said compartments, said doors in closed position lying opposite said hinged lining sections.

6. A railway house car comprising Yside walls, side plates, a roof, and a floor, said walls embodying inner linings, sections of said Vlinings being hinged and swingable toward each other transversely of said walls to form a partition, locking means carried by said sections, keepers carried by said car adjacent to said'roof, keepers secured to said oor, said locking means engaging said first mentioned. keepers and certain of said floor keepers to lock said sections in partition-forming position, and keepers secured to said side plates, said locking means engaging said latter keepers and others of said iioor keepers to lock said sections in lining-forming position.

7. A railway house car comprising side walls each embodying an inner lining, sections of said linings being hinged at a, vertical edge to said side walls and swingable toward each other to form a vertical partition, means for locking said means carried by said sections, a bar secured to and extending across said car adjacent to said roof, spaced openings in said bar, keepers se-` secured to said floor and keepers secured to said side plates, said locking means engaging said openings in said bar and certain of said iloor keepers to lock said sections in partition-forming position, said locking means engaging others of said oor keepers and said side plate keepers to lock said sections in lining-forming position.

9. A railway house car comprising side walls, a floor, a roof, and Va side plate, a partition in said car extending between said side walls to form a plurality of compartments, locking means carried by said partition, keepers carried by said car adjacent to said roof, keepers in said floor spaced transversely of said car, said locking means engaging said keepers to lock said partition, keepers secured to said side plate and longitudinally spaced keepers in said floor adjacent to a wall of said car, said locking means engaging said side plate keepers and said latter floor keepers to lock said partition in non-partition-forming position.

10. A railway house car comprising side walls, side plates, a roof and a floor, said walls embodying inner linings, sections of said linings being hinged and swingab-le toward each other transversely of said walls to form a partition, locking means carried by said sections, keepers carried by said car adjacent to said roof, transversely spaced keepers in said iloor, said locking means engaging said keepers to lock said sections in partitionforming position, keepers secured to said side plates, and longitudinally spaced keepers in said iloor adjacent to said walls, said locking means engaging said side plate keepers and said latter floor keepers to lock said sections in lining-forming position.

11. A railway house car comprising side walls each embodying an inner lining, sections of said linings being movable toward each other from lining-forming position to a Vertical position between said side walls to form a partition extending between said side walls transversely of said car, means for locking said sections in partitionforming position, and means for locking said sections in lining-forming position.

12. A railway house car comprising side walls, side plates, a roof, and a floor, said walls embodying inner linings, sections of said linings being hinged and swingable toward each other transversely of said walls to form a partition, locking means carried by said sections, said locking means embodying a unitary slidable bar disposed between the faces of said sections, and a locking element secured to said bar and extending beyond the upper edge of said sections, said locking element having depending locking bolts, said bar projecting beyond the lower edge of said sections, keepers carried by said car adjacent to said roof, transversely spaced keepers in said door, certain of said locking bolts engaging said keepers adjacent to said roof and said projection of said bar engaging said floor keepers to lock said sections in partition-forming position, keepers carried by said side plates and longitudinally spaced keepers in said floor adjacent to said walls, the other locking bolts engaging said side plate keepers and said bar projection engaging said latter floor keepers, to lock said sections in lining-forming position.

13. A railway house car comprising side walls, side plates, a roof, and a door, said wallsembodying inner linings, sections of Sai-d linings being hinged and swingable toward each other transversely of said Walls to form a partition, locking means carried by said sections, said locking means embodying a unitary slidable bar disposed between the faces of said sections, and a locking element disposed adjacent to the upper edge of said sections and being operable by said bar, said bar projecting below the lower edge of said sections, keepers carried by said car adjacent to said roof, transversely spaced keepers in said floor, said locking element engaging said keepers adjacent to said roof and said bar projection engaging said floor keepers to lock said sections in partition-forming position, keepers carried by said side plates and longitudinally spaced keepers in said floor 'adjacent to said walls, said locking element engaging said side plate keepers and Said bar projection engaging said latter floor keepers to lock said sections in lining-forming position.

14. A bulkhead for railway house cars comprising a main body section adapted to extend transversely of said car to divide the car into separate compartments, a unitary bar slidably disposed between the faces of said section, the lower end of said bar projecting below the lower edge of said section when in locking position, a substantially T-shaped locking element secured to said bar, said locking element having flanges extending transversely of said section adjacent to the upper edge thereof, the flanges of said locking element being provided with depending locking bolts.

15. A bulkhead for railway house cars comprising a main body section adapted to extend transversely of said car to divide the car into separate compartments, a unitary bar slidably disposed between the faces of said section, the lower end of said bar projecting below the lower edge of said section when in locking position, a substantially T-shaped locking element secured to said bar, said locking element having flanges extending transversely of said section adjacent to the upper edge thereof, the flanges of said locking element being provided with depending locking bolts, a recess in said section, and an operating handle disposed in said recess and fastened to said bar, said handle lying between the faces of said section.

FRANK DITCHFIELD. 

